


Cocoa by the Fire

by EllenMarieP



Series: Thomas Barrow Christmas Prompts [28]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:35:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28738857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenMarieP/pseuds/EllenMarieP
Summary: Part 28 of the Christmas prompt challenge.Open fire – “It’s nice though, sitting here with you.”Thomas and Phyllis chat by the fire.
Series: Thomas Barrow Christmas Prompts [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030419
Comments: 10
Kudos: 21
Collections: A Very Thomas Barrow Christmas 2020





	Cocoa by the Fire

**Cocoa by the Fire**

Was there anything better on a cold winters night than sitting next to a roaring fire in your favourite chair with your hands wrapped around a fresh mug of hot cocoa? If there was, Thomas couldn’t think of it. Not at this moment anyway.

He hadn’t been wholly unsurprised when Miss Baxter appeared in the servants' hall with two gently steaming mugs in her hands, she’d always liked to look after him whether he liked it or not and he’d found himself liking it more often than not in the last year or so. He had been a little surprised at the late hour, he’d thought he was the only one still up but no matter. He should have known that she’d want to check in with him, it had been his first proper day as butler after all with Mr Carson making zero appearances by some form of Mrs Hughes shaped miracle.

“How was it? Your first proper day in charge?”

“It was…alright? I kept expecting Carson to appear at any moment, breathing over my shoulder.”

“You know he takes time to get used to change.”

“It’s been a month. Four weeks and today is the first day he hasn’t checked up on me.”

“But you do prefer it don’t you? Being here instead of the Stiles’?”

“Course I do. It’s not been plain sailing but it’s nice though, being with the others, seeing the children, sitting here with you. Every cloud.”

The smile she gave him at that moment was almost worth Carson and his inability to commit to retirement, almost. Alas, as much as he loved his honorary sister, he couldn’t deny that he still craved a real, romantic love with the man of his dreams if indeed such a man existed, he had very specific dreams.

“I am glad you’re home, Thomas. It wasn’t the same without you here. We all need a little mischief and a joke or two to get us through the day. We lost that with you gone.”

“Ey now, don’t be going too soft on me. You’ve got to save some of that for Mr Moseley.”

“Oh hush!.”

Thomas couldn’t help but smile as they spent the next hour teasing one another and reminiscing. It may not have been plain sailing, but his future was certainly looking brighter than it ever had before.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't given up! Nearly done!


End file.
